Summary of the Present Invention
This invention relates to a mechanism for heating a flowing liquid by the action of multiple pin holes in the conduit that contains the liquid. The invention is particularly applicable to heat exchange liquid used for heating domestic hot water or for heating air in residential furnaces.
In most domestic water heaters or residential hot air furnaces the water, or air, is heated by gaseous combustion or by electrical hot wire heater elements. The present invention departs from conventional practice in that heat is derived from turbulent boundary layer flow of heat exchanger liquid through multiple pin holes in transverse partitions spaced along the conduit used to contain the flowing liquid.
The present invention produces the desired heating action without using gaseous combustion or electrical hot wire heating. In some respects the present invention represents a simplification of the apparatus used conventionally for hot water heating or hot air furnace heating. In many situations, the heating apparatus of the present invention can be more compact than the conventional apparatus having a comparable heat output.
Specific features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and description of an apparatus embodying the invention.
In summary, and in accordance with the above, the foregoing objectives are achieved in the following described embodiments.
1. A heating mechanism comprising:
a flow conduit; PA1 at least one plate extending transversely across said conduit; PA1 multiple heat-producing pin holes extending through each said plate; PA1 means for supplying pressurized heat exchange liquid to said conduit, so that the liquid is forced to flow through said pin holes in order to move through the conduit; and PA1 said pin holes having closely spaced edges presented to the liquid so that most of the liquid flow is in the turbulent boundary layer region.
2. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein each pin hole has a star cross section.
3. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein each pin hole has an eight point star cross section.
4. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein each pin hole has a cross section that is less than one eighth inch in any direction measured from the pin hole axis.
5. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein there are at least four plates spaced along said conduit; and each plate having multiple pin holes extending therethrough, whereby each plate exerts a heating action on the flowing liquid.
6. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein there are at least four plates spaced along said conduit; said conduit having a central axis; each plate having multiple pin holes extending therethrough, whereby each plate exerts a heating action on the flowing liquid; and the pin holes in successive plates being offset in different directions from the conduit central axis, whereby the liquid undergoes a mixing action as it moves between successive plates.
7. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein each said plate has at least fifty pin holes extending therethrough.
8. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein the heat exchange liquid is oil.
9. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, wherein said means for supplying pressurized liquid to said conduit comprises a motor-operated pump; and means for regulating the heating action of said pin holes; and said regulating means comprising a temperature sensor responsive to elevated temperates produced by the heated liquid, and a pump controller operated by said temperature sensor.
10. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, and further comprising a hot water heater that includes a helical water passage surrounding said flow conduit, whereby the heated liquid flowing through said conduit transfers heat to the water in said helical water passage.
11. The heating mechanism, as described in paragraph 1, and further comprising a hot water heater that includes a helical water passage surrounding said flow conduit, a first annular duct connected to said flow conduit within the space circumscribed by the helical water passage, and a second annular duct connected to said first duct in surrounding relation to said helical water passage, whereby said helical passage is heated at its inner surface and at its outer surface.